USDA takes steps to limit salmonella in raw poultry products

The Department of Agriculture on Monday announced plans to limit salmonella in poultry products in the U.S., a proposal that officials say will keep contaminated meat off store shelves and lead to fewer illnesses.

Under the proposed new rule, poultry companies would have to keep salmonella levels below a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly unhealthy forms of the bacteria, three found in turkeys and three in chickens. If the bacteria exceeds the proposed standard and any of these strains are found, the birds cannot be sold and will be subject to recall.

The poultry industry has made progress in reducing the amount of salmonella in its products over the past three decades, said Dr. Emilio Esteban, USDA undersecretary for food safety.

“However, there has not been a similar decline in people in the number of illnesses,” he said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates salmonella causes 1.35 million infections annually, most through food, and around 420 deaths. The Department of Agriculture estimates 125,000 infections in chickens and 43,000 in turkeys each year.

Under the proposal, poultry companies would also have to establish monitoring programs that identify contamination throughout the slaughter system. The proposal includes guidelines to reduce the likelihood of salmonella spreading through flocks before harvest, including vaccinating birds against the bacteria.

The proposed rule, three years in the makingit would be finalized after a public comment period.

In April, the department told poultry producers to reduce salmonella in certain frozen poultry products as a first step. It was the first time the agency had labeled salmonella as an “adulterant” contaminant in food, along with certain types of E. coli.

The National Chicken Council, which lobbies on behalf of the U.S. broiler industry, opposes additional requirements.

Ashley Peterson, the group’s senior vice president, questioned whether the proposal “has been shown to have a positive impact on public health” and said it could significantly increase prices. She said the council is committed to further reducing salmonella and looks forward to reviewing the USDA’s full proposal.

Martin Bucknavage, a food scientist at Penn State, said tracking specific levels and types of bacteria is “not an easy thing,” especially at the rapid pace at which birds are hitting store shelves.

He expects the industry will need time to adjust and that it will take some time to see if the new requirements actually slow cases of food poisoning.

“Certainly, reducing the level of salmonella decreases the risk of getting sick,” Bucknavage said.

The USDA took similar action with E. coli bacteria in 1994, following deadly outbreaks of food poisoning linked to ground beef and the number of related foodborne illnesses. They fell by more than 50%.

The agency hasn’t set limits on salmonella levels until now because there weren’t enough tools and technology to track the bacteria in this way, but now “it’s time to change our approach,” Esteban said.

“One of my commitments to this mission, to the USDA, is that I wouldn’t do things without having the science to back us up,” he said. “We have the tools. We have the technology. We have the knowledge.”

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